ConFoo spam?

[Yannick Gingras]

On October 7, 2010, Chris Withers wrote:
> Hi All,
> 
> Is it just me or does the mailing of just about every single 
> python-based project mailing list with a 90% form email advertising a 
> conference that only has one python track and clashes with PyCon feel 
> just a bit like spam?
> 
> I know it's enough to put me off even considering going to ConFoo, 
> whatever it is...

[I'm sending this message again because the first time, I was not
subscribed to the list and my reply seems to be withheld.  I hope that
the list moderator will see this and that you won't receive it twice.]

Hello Chris and others, 
  I'm sorry if our call for speakers was too broad.  A few weeks ago,
PyCon launched its call for speakers with a very massive coverage on
great many mailing lists, including the Montréal-Python one.  We
understand that PyCon it THE Python conference and we actually
appreciated that our low volume mailing list was considered important
enough to receive the PyCon call for speakers.

Inspired by that massive out-reach effort by the PyCon program
committee, we decided to launch the ConFoo CFP with great glory too.
A total of 24 lists were contacted, most of them related to Web
development and a few where Python core hackers can be found on
because Raymond Hettinger's talk last year was a great success.

Should we only have contacted the Web related lists?  Should we
refrain from contacting any lists?  I admit that we don't know what
the right answer is but we will take the feedback from the community
and adjust our strategy for next year.

Regarding the clash with PyCon, we are also very torn.  ConFoo does
not have a lot of leverage to negotiate with the hotel so we had to
book a date as early as possible to get a decent rate and we did it
with PyCon 2010 dates in mind.  When the news came out that PyCon
would clash with ConFoo in a very significant manner, we,
Montréal-Python, had the option to cancel the Python track or to look
for a compromise, which was to ensure that all the Python talks would
happen before the first day of PyCon talks.  We'll do better next year
but this is the best that we could do this year.

By the way, ConFoo and Montréal-Python are non-profits, we do it
because we want to show how Python is a viable Web development
plate-form; we won't make money out of it.

Again, I'm sorry if our call for speakers was too broad and we'll do
better next year.

Best regards, 

-- 
Yannick Gingras
http://montrealpython.org -- lead organizer
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